DSE index dips below 4,500-mark amid investors\\\' protest

Stocks witnessed sharp decline Monday for the second running session and the key index of the prime bourse dipped below 4,500 points mark as most of the investors went for selling spree.
Meanwhile, a group of investors staged demonstration in front of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) at around 1.30pm protesting the continuous share price fall. The market opened with a choppy trading. At the end of the session, the prime index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSEX) came down below 4,500 points mark after 11-week and ended at 4,466.08 points, shedding 53.46 points or 1.18 per cent. The other two indices also saw sharp decline. The DS30, comprising blue chips lost 25.81 points or 1.59 per cent to close at 1,589.38 points. The DSE Index (DSES) went down by 10.77 points or 1.10 per cent to close at 967.97 points. Turnover value on the DSE stood at Tk 2.98 billion, registering 22.63 per cent increase over the previous session’s 5-month low value of Tk 2.43 billion. The losers took a strong lead over the gainers as out of 289 issues traded, 188 advanced, 67 declined and 34 issues closed unchanged on the DSE floor. Emerald Oil Industries became the top turnover leaders with shares worth Tk 198.77 million changing hands followed by BSC, Square Pharma, Lafarge Surma Cement and BSCCL. Renwick Jajneswar was also the day’s highest gainer; posting a rise of 8.74 per cent while BD Finance was the day’s worst losers, slumping by 7.56 per cent. The port city bourse --- the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also saw steep fall with its Selective Categories Index – CSCX-- lost 103.64 points to close at 8,698.89 points. Losers beat gainers 160 to 35, with 16 issues remaining unchanged at the port city bourse that traded 5.21 million shares and mutual fund units, turnover value of Tk 247.08 million.